Celebrate- Wayfarer Camp 2015

I just returned home from a week at Wayfarer Camp with my youth group. We have been attending Wayfarer for the past three years now. Wayfarer has been a turning point each year in my walk with Christ. As I reflect over the past few years, many of the things I see God doing in my life now were seeds planted at Wayfarer. Church camps, concerts, conferences, mission trips, etc. can all be very powerful moments in our faith. There is power in taking time to solely focus on God, to spend time in community and worship with other believers, to come together to call on God, to serve, to hear God’s word, and experience His presence. What I have experienced at camp the past  three years is not just a time of fun, games, and goofing off. It hasn’t just been a spiritual high that disappears when I return home. Wayfarer has been a time of learning to hear God’s voice. It has been a time of God examining my heart, of purifying my heart. It has been a time of learning what true worship is about. It has been a time of learning what living as a family with other believers is about. It has been a time of challenge. It has been a time of discipleship.

Last week I got to experience God, hear His voice, to worship Him, to celebrate Him for being the good father He is.  The week I had at Wayfarer was great, but honestly I’m even more excited about being home because I get to live out what I learned. Our theme was celebrate- living in celebration in response to God’s goodness, His good gifts for us. I want to share what I learned this week and what God is doing in my life now.

 

What I learned:

• Give God control– God wants us to accept His gifts, He wants us to join the party. We were challenged to examine what was keeping us back from living in celebration. This week I felt God calling me to put control over my own life to death to step into the life and freedom of trust in Christ’s plan for me. If I believe that God is good, that He wants the best for my life, then I should have confidence in His will for my life.
• Family- We are all children of God, we are a family. I have become so close to my youth group. We share our lives together. We are  one big family, with one goal and purpose- to pursue God together. We are all there for one another. I’m so thankful for my spiritual family.
• True Worship- I’ve always viewed worship as an emotional experience. If I “feel” God’s presence or if I “feel” in the moment, then maybe I’ll put up my hands and sing a little louder. But that isn’t worship. Worship isn’t about me or what I feel; worship is about God who is constant. Worship is surrendering ourselves to God, no matter our circumstances, distractions, and emotions.
• Get out of my comfort zone- This week I had a chance to get out of my comfort zone. In our service project, God gave us the opportunity to talk and pray with strangers, which is difficult and uncomfortable to me. But I was amazed at the boldness and peace He gave me, and I’m really thankful for what I learned through that experience.
• Open Eyes- Opportunities are all around me, all I have to do is open my eyes. We sang a song in worship (Invitation Song), that said “Open up my eyes to see you in the ordinary, we don’t want to miss you anymore”
• Lead- God has called me to be a disciple. He has called me to go, to step into the world and be a light for Him. Being a Christian is not just about going to church, youth camps, and hanging out- it’s about taking God’s word into the world and making disciples.
• Power of Prayer- We got to see God’s healing power firsthand, spiritually and physically. Prayer is powerful!
• GO!- God is calling me, he’s sending me. I have entered the party, now it’s time for me to invite other’s to join the celebration.

 

These are just a few of the things God taught me at camp and is continuing to reveal to me back at home. I plan to write more on each of these areas later as God continues to teach me. Summer is a time when many people get to take trips like this and experience God. But I encourage you, as you go to these camps, conferences, on mission trips, etc., don’t let that be the end of the journey. It’s easy to find ourselves trying to  jump from one “spiritual high”/ “mountain top moment” to another. When God shows us His glory and reveals truths and wisdom and callings into our lives through these experiences, He wants us to live them out. It’s easy, as we step back into our everyday lives, to lose sight of God, to forget what He has revealed to us. One of our speakers at camp, Dave Rhodes, said, “Great moments with God should become great movements for God.”

So, this is just a glimpse at what God is doing in my life. I know that the best is yet to come. I’m just so excited as God continues to teach me and reveal Himself to me. I will continue to share here as God continues to show me more about the things I mentioned above.